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PGA’s vision is to contribute to the creation of a Rules-Based International Order for a more equitable, safe, sustainable and democratic world.

Biological Security - Weekly Update - March 2023

The Weekly Biological Security Update is prepared by PGA's International Peace and Security Program and provided strictly for informational purposes only. Any opinions expressed in articles contained in this Update are not necessarily shared by PGA or any individual/s associated with PGA, nor does PGA, or any individual/s associated with PGA, vouch for the accuracy of the contents of these articles.

Country Topic Source
  Global Can a 1975 bioweapons ban handle today’s biothreats? Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
  Africa https://africacdc.org/news-item/africa-cdc-in-collaboration-with-institut-pasteur-de-dakar-ipd-organized-a-training-on-molecular-diagnosis-of-marburg-virus/ Africa CDC
  Africa Africa - Africa CDC publishes its first list of priority pathogens Devex.com
  Africa AFRICAN REGION SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE - Looking Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic"> Newvision (Uganda)
  Bangladesh Housewife dies of Nipah in Naogaon  New Age
  Global Biohacking: The Latest Health Craze, Health Hazard or Biowarfare? Home - Impakter
  Cameroon Anticipatory action for Marburg, DREF Application (MDRCM033) ReliefWeb
  Canada Guelph-based company in the business of fighting bioterrorism Guelph News
  Canada U of M researchers join group to better prepare Canada for another pandemic Winnipeg News
  Canada/US Destructive ‘Super Pigs’ From Canada Threaten the Northern U.S. Smithsonian Magazine
  Canada North America expands veterinary biodefense network with VIDO National Hog Farmer
  China/US FBI chief Christopher Wray says China lab leak 'most likely' BBC - Homepage
  DRC Experts dismiss as “absurd” WHO’s excusal of staff sex misconduct in Congo "> Daily Mail
  DRC WHO calls in experts to decide on conflicting Ebola sex abuse reports">
The New Humanitarian
  RDC Le Sud-Kivu peine à se débarrasser d’une épidémie de peste des petits ruminants Home - SciDev.Net
  Equatorial Guinea Death Toll in Equatorial Guinea Marburg Outbreak Rises to 11 VOA - Voice of America English News
  Global From the Archives: How the World’s Deadliest Ebola Outbreak Unfolded PBS: Public Broadcasting Service
  Germany Ricin’s Round Two: Germany Prevents Another Islamic State-Motivated Bioterrorism Attack The Jamestown Foundation
  Germany Germany takes a tougher stance against bypassing Russia Sanctions via third countries JD Supra
  Global How “Spillover Events Propel Animal Diseases Into Human Populations IFLScience
  Global How We Found That Sites of Previous Ebola Outbreaks Are at Higher Risk Than Before ProPublica — Investigative Journalism and News in the Public Interest
  India A new 'new normal' for zoonotic diseases The Economic Times
  India World Bank to provide one billion dollar health loan to India Daily Times - Pakistan
  Iran Iranian officials to investigate ‘revenge’ poisoning of schoolgirls The Guardian
  Iran Iran probes 'deliberate' poisoning of schoolgirls across the country NBC News
  Global L’intelligence artificielle pourrait être utilisée à des fins d’armes biologiques selon les scientifiques Yahoo News
  Global Lab Leak or Not, Covid’s Mysteries Still Need Solving "> Unknown Site
  Global Lab-Leak Intelligence Reports Aren’t Scientific Conclusions Scientific American
  Nigeria Biosafety agency reviews regulatory instruments since 2015 inception Evniviron News Nigeria
  Nigeria Biosafety agency assures of safe environment Evniviron News Nigeria
  Global The One Health Story: It’s More than Infectious Diseases Home - Impakter
  Global On The Edge ProPublica — Investigative Journalism and News in the Public Interest
  Philippines/US U.S. Supports Launch of Philippine E-Licensing Platform for Strategic Goods PACOM
  Philippines/US U.S. Supports Launch of Philippine E-Licensing Platform for Strategic Goods PHilStar Global
  Russian Federation "Biological Chernobyl": When A Deadly Infectious Disease Broke Out From A Soviet Lab In 1979
IFLScience.com
  Sierra Leone We will not be defined by epidemics and pandemics – Sierra Leone’s President Bio tells High-Level Africa-CDC Forum The Sierra Leone Telegraph
  Sierra Leone “Every aspect of sexual and reproductive health is impacted”: The hidden toll of Ebola GAVI - The Vaccine Alliance
  Global The next pandemic: if we can’t respond, we’re not prepared ReliefWeb
  Global The Seven Deadly Sins of Biomedical Research Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
  United Nations The Twentieth Program of Work of the 1540 Committee is published "....(Transparency and Outreach)...22. The Committee will organize and participate in outreach events on the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) at the international, regional, subregional and, as appropriate, national levels, including on specific thematic and regional issues, and will invite, as appropriate, parliamentarians, as well as representatives of civil society, industry and academia....." United Nations
  United Nations The Twentieth Program of Work of the 1540 Committee is published United Nations
  United Nations Summary of 1540 Committee 92nd formal meeting is posted. United Nations
  United Nations (2019) United Nations

PGA ARCHIVE
Past Engagement of UNSCR 1540 Committee/UNSCR 1540 Committee Group of Experts with PGA

Country Topic Source
  Global Workshop on ‘Promoting the Role of Women Parliamentarians in Africa in preventing the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (2019) United Nations
  Global VIDEO MESSAGE TO THE PARLIAMENTARIANS FOR GLOBAL ACTION (PGA) REGIONAL AFRICA PARLIAMENTARY WORKSHOP TO PROMOTE UNIVERSALITY AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BIOLOGICAL AND TOXIN WEAPONS CONVENTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1540 (2004)  (2018) United Nations
  PGA PGA Regional Caribbean Workshop to Promote Universality and Implementation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 Unitd Nations
  United Nations General Assembly Adopts Resolutions Deciding Format, Focus of Upcoming High-level Meetings in September on Pandemic Prevention and Response, fighting Tuberculosis UN Press
  United States Secretary Antony J. Blinken with Geeta Mohan of India Today US Department of State
  United States COVID-19 may have originated in Chinese lab, but no evidence it was bioweapon UNITED NEWS OF INDIA
  United States FACT SHEET: President Biden Signs National Security Memorandum to Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism and Advance Nuclear and Radioactive Material Security The White House
  United States What's the 'Z Division'? A secret team of scientists searches for answers on COVID-19's origins USA TODAY
  United States Bio Revolution ready to scale Forbes
  United States Biotech startup focused on bat biology raises $100 million Axios
  United States Ginkgo Bioworks Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2022 Financial Results "> Hoards.com
  United States Dr. Nicholas Bergman Selected NBACC Lab Director Business Wire
  United States T2 Biosystems Readies Biothreat Panel for FDA Submission While Keeping Eye on Sepsis Market Genetics News
  United States FDA Grants First Marketing Rights for Anthrax Point-of-Care Test to InBios goskagit.com | Skagit County's Home Page
  Global What does the science say about the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic? NPR
  Global We’ve Been Talking About the Lab-Leak Hypothesis All Wrong The New York Times
  Global Why Covid's 'lab leak' theory isn't all that crazy: Fascinating interactive map logs EVERY single biosecurity blunder of the last 100 years – including the 'Biological Chernobyl' that the Soviet Union tried to cover-up in the 70s... Daily Mail Online
  Global Why are eggs so expensive? Because an avian flu killed 43 million hens last year The Guardian
  Global Why Technology Will Define the Future of Geopolitics "....Perhaps even more important, the warfare of the future will target individuals in completely new ways: authoritarian states such as China and Russia may be able to collect individual data on Americans’ shopping habits, location, and even DNA profiles, allowing for tailor-made disinformation campaigns and even targeted biological attacks and assassinations...."  Foreign Affairs Magazine